Evolution of the Interface between Osiris
and Syllabus
Part 2
David Hathaway, Scientia
June 2010
SISLink 2010 Conference
Presentation title (Arial, 12pt)
Contents
• Inter-Process Messaging
• Scientia’s Enterprise Messaging Framework
• Business Processes First!
• No right answer – or Batch transfer V. Messaging
• Osiris to Syllabus – a messaging based interface
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Evolution of the Interface between Osiris and Syllabus – Part 2
What is messaging?
• Some key concepts
• Messages – represent data, information or a status change
• Subscriptions
• Queues
• Message handling is now a standard OS function
• Increasingly supported by common applications
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Messages – More to them than SDPA
• Complex or simple?
• When and why are messages sent?
• Who owns message definitions?
– Message definitions pre-set
– Generic or bespoke for the integration under development?
– Broadcasting system or receiving system?
• Information or data?
– API use only, or more broadly defined “announcement” ?
– Example 1: A staff member resigns
– Example 2: Student change of address
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Messaging-based interface characteristics
• Must run unattended and continuously
• All error conditions must be managed
• Messages must be deferred or rejected
• “Near real-time”
• Control and sequencing largely determined by the broadcasting system
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Enterprise Messaging Framework (EMF)
• Messaging interface for data interchange to/from Syllabus
• A comprehensive set of low-level messages
• Custom-written high-level message sets for specific interfaces
• Intended as a toolkit for system integrator/developers
• In live use – wider product launch planned for later in the year
• NOT a direct replacement for SPDA or other COM based links
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EMF (continued) – development history
• 18 months development to date
• Works directly to the SDB, not via the image
• V1.0 used to build the SAP-Syllabus 2-way link in use at UM
– went live last August
– links SAP/SLM to Syllabus
– transfers student, staff, module, booking information to S+
– transfers activity information to SAP/SLM
– many millions of messages transferred
– New version of link using V1.1 currently under test
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Integrated Solutions
Current and future EMF-based projects
In use
• University of Maastricht - bi-directional custom link to SAP/SLM (EMF 1.1)
• Enterprise Reporting - live data feed prototype
In development
• BSPI/Sungard – joint project linking Banner V8 to Syllabus Plus, pilot starting soon
Under discussion
• PSB/Osiris - link from Osiris SRS to Syllabus Plus
• SAP – various links under discussion
• Oracle/Peoplesoft Campus Solutions - very early stage talks
• Agresso/QLS link – possible future link
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Integrated Solutions
EMF – The way forward
• EMF will be part of a number of different product offerings
• Scientia will increasingly use messaging inside products
• Implement integration solutions based on business needs
– Mixture of software, consultancy and third party effort
• Building relationships with integration partners and vendors
• Model now in place to decide which solutions we build – and those to
outsource
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Presentation title (Arial, 12pt)
Business Processes (1)
Cannot develop a successful integration without understanding the
business process it must support. Need to understand:
• Why the data needs to transfer?
• The entities involved and how they map between systems?
• Which system is the primary owners of entities?
• Any triggers, control points, validations, etc?
• Any frequency/data currency issues?
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Presentation title (Arial, 12pt)
Business process (2)
• Error cases/recovery models
• Reject or retry “bad” messages?
• How the business process could be improved
• Why it may not be allowed to change
• Generic links may need to support many different business processes
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Business Processes – Implementation
• Business Process requirements drive the technical solution
– Batch transfers can’t deliver real-time updates
– Messaging not needed for slow-changing, largely static data
• Technology delivers the business process
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Integrated Solutions
What’s the best solution – Batch or SPDA?
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Integrated Solutions
There is no right answer
Messaging
• Continuous updates,
•e.g. Transferring student details as they register
• Data is assumed to be correct, control imposed by the emitting system
• Delivery is critical
• Unlikely to change once implemented
Bulk transfer
• One-off or irregular transfer or varying data definitions
• Data updates are supplied in sets or batches
• Operator validation or a two-stage transfer required
• Data may be inconsistent or supporting data may be needed
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Presentation title (Arial, 12pt)
Osiris to Syllabus – A messaging based interface
• A batch-based 2-way interface exists
– Based on transfer tables and SPDA
• Messaging interface - working with PSB
– Joint development project for a 2-way messaging interface
– Transfer of course information, staff, students (?) and registrations to Syllabus
– Transfer of timetable information and/or enrolments to Osiris
– Will be based on EMF 1.1
• Investigating the business processes
– Looking for commonalities with existing Syllabus messaging interfaces
• Availability
–?
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Presentation title (Arial, 12pt)
Summary
• Messaging is a new and different interface technology
• Messaging-based interfaces must be carefully specified and tested
• Technology must support the business process, not vice-versa
• Can deliver elegant and seamless integration solutions
– particularly where data must be sent to many systems
• An Osiris to Syllabus messaging-based link is under development
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